Numb
by ScenicSavvy
Summary: When Alec finally meets someone that rivals his feelings for Jace, he's more conflicted than ever. Tormented by his sexuality, driven by lust, and torn by his heart, Alec is forced to make decisions that threaten to rip his life apart.
1. Chapter 1

_When you have a secret, it seems, it's all that you think about. The darker the secret, the deeper you bury it. The deeper you bury it, the more it engulfs you. The irony is all the effort you spend keeping your secret a secret, a part of you wants someone to tell it to; someone to share it with. And eventually, you'll find yourself conflicted and be forced to choose which is more important to you; keeping your secret hidden or trusting someone with a part of you that you'll never get back._

It was apparent to Alec that he was being absolutely ridiculous, but he was never any good at lying. Blood always rushed to his heated face, occasionally he'd stutter, and sometimes his hands would shake until he had to put them in his pockets to steady himself. That evening was no different. As Jace and Isabelle were avidly trying to talk him into some triple date, he felt the blood rushing to his cheeks almost instantaneously.

"There's nothing for you to do. What are you going to spend tonight doing, playing with Max? Oh, my God. Just come with us. Call up that one girl… What was her name? Sarah…?" Isabelle's voice trailed off, and her eyebrows knitted together as she tried to recall the name.

"Scarlett," Jace finished for her.

Isabelle perked up at once, "Yeah! Scarlett, call her up and ask her if she wants to come tonight. You two can go as friends, Alec, damn."

Alec turned away from the two of them and scanned the shelves of books lining the room; anything to deter from his blush. The truth was he had a number of reasons to decline their invitation tonight, one of them being Jace. He found it extremely difficult to be around Jace when he had one of his girlfriends over. Alec would always get jealous, and in his acts of trying to hide his jealousy he came off rude and angry. Rather than turn their evening to hell, he'd decided to stay home.

"Scarlett moved. You guys really don't pay attention, do you?" He retorted quietly, never once turning to face them.

Jace raised an eyebrow as he watched Alec. "Well then call Emma."

"She had bad breath," Alec said flatly.

Isabelle huffed loudly as she plopped into a leather lounge chair across the room. "Well call _someone_!"

"I don't want to go," Alec snapped, craning his head to the side to briefly glare at his sister. "Honestly, I've got a lot of shit to do anyway. I haven't cleaned my weapons all week and I promised Max I'd help him with some lightweight training."

Isabelle met Jace's gaze for a brief moment. Anyone else would hardly notice such a small action, but Alec knew them. Just like he and Isabelle had a way of communicating silently, so did she and Jace. He felt himself grow irritated and turned to face them, leaning against the bookshelf and crossing his arms over his chest.

"What is it?" He demanded.

Jace and Isabelle both gave him innocent looks, raising their eyebrows, but after a few seconds beneath Alec's harsh gaze, they broke.

"We're worried about you, Alec," Isabelle said softly.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Jace interrupted, speaking quickly.

"You're mood swings are wild. One minute you're happy and getting along with us, and the next second you're so irritable… You're more quiet than usual, too. What's going on, man?"

Alec flushed. He averted their gaze and instead fixed his eyes on the floor. He couldn't tell them the truth. If Jace knew how he felt, it would ruin their friendship, and Alec cared too much about Jace to ever risk losing him. And their family would be absolutely disgusted with him. He imagined being shunned from their lives and forced to live among the Mundane. A gay Shadowhunter? Absolutely unheard of. Alec couldn't recall meeting one gay Shadowhunter, ever, which left him to believe there was a law on it somewhere.

"I've just been stressing, it's nothing to be worried about," Alec mumbled.

Jace and Isabelle were silent, waiting for him to go on, but he remained quiet. There was a soft noise as Jace rose from the sofa and made his way over to Alec. Jace stood close to him, blocking his view of Isabelle and lowering his head so that she couldn't hear him. He was so close, Alec could smell his cologne. He shoved his hands in his pockets hastily.

"If you need someone to talk to," Jace whispered quietly, "You know I'm here for you. Whatever it is that's getting you down, don't let it take you over."

Alec met Jace's eyes for only a few seconds. They were bright and golden, but serious, with small spectrums of light reflecting in the iris. Alec pursed his lips together. He wanted so badly to talk to Jace about all the things he was feeling and all the thoughts that he was having, but he couldn't. He was ashamed of who he was becoming. He wished he could be like Jace; so carefree. Jace would bring home different girls all the time, it was no surprise. Alec wanted to do that. He wanted to be normal, and this reason led him to change his mind about going out with them.

"I'm fine," He whispered back to Jace. "I promise. I'll go with you guys tonight if it's that important to you."

Jace clapped a hand on Alec's shoulder as an electric grin lit up his face arrogantly. Jace always got his way with Alec, all he had to do was bat his eyelashes and Alec would buckle like weak knees. He wasn't sure if Jace had figured this out yet or not, but he knew eventually he would.

"And just like, this party's a threesome!" Jace said, turning around to Isabelle.

Isabelle's eyebrows rose as her smile spread to match Jace's. "You're coming with us?"

Alec watched his sister and couldn't help but smile. He knew she meant well, and she was probably genuinely worried about him, as was Jace.

"Yeah, I'm coming," He said with a dramatic roll of his eyes.

Isabelle jumped off the sofa after looking at the time and hurriedly made her way to the door. "Okay, we're supposed to meet them there at 9, right, Jace? Oh, god. That only gives me three hours to get ready. I'm going to look such a mess."

She was still muttering obscenities about the amount of time she had to get ready when Jace noticed the time as well.

"Oh, shit. I'll never be ready," He mumbled, following after Isabelle.

Unlike the two of them, Alec had three hours to kill and still no date.

* * *

"I still think you should've brought_ someone_," Isabelle said as she twisted a strand of her dark hair around her fingers.

"Lay off, Iz. He can pick up a date at the club," Jace said heatedly.

"I just meant… Oh, never mind. I just want you to have fun," She replied quietly, her eyes resting on Alec.

"You meant you want him to come _and_ enjoy it?" Jace asked with fake incredulity.

Isabelle narrowed her eyes threateningly in Jace's direction but saw the corners of Alec's lips twitch in a smile and kept quiet. Though she was younger than Alec, she always felt like she had to protect him. She knew he felt the same about her, but this is the way it had always been with them; all three of them. They always felt like they had to protect each other, and, honestly, they did.

When they arrived at the club, things were in full force. The lights were low, the music loud, and the smell of sweat and sex mixed with perfume and cologne was overpowering. The three of them made their way through the mass of bodies dancing and up the stairs to the next floor to get to the bar. Jace called out to someone before they'd even made it that far.

"Clary?"

A short redhead turned around at the sound of her name and a smile spread across her face. "Jace, hi!"

This must be the girl Jace had been talking about nonstop for two days. He and Isabelle had met her and her friend a few days before and made plans for this evening. Alec could already feel himself growing jealous, and it was exactly what he'd wanted to avoid. He clenched his jaw and looked out over the crowd of people dancing as Jace hugged Clary and made small talk with her. To the side of them, Isabelle was doing the same with Clary's friend, though Alec hadn't caught his name yet. After a few minutes of watching the four of them, and already feeling quiet left out, he realized how odd the situation was. Clary was nothing like the girls Jace typically went after, and the same could be said about Isabelle and Clary's friend. Above all else, they were so… human. Not that Alec had anything against mundane, because he didn't, but Jace nor Isabelle had ever dated a mundane. Then again, Alec figured, these two were probably just toys like the rest of them. Given a week and they'll old news.

"Oh, and this is my brother, Alec."

Alec's head snapped around as he heard his name being called and he raised his eyebrows at Isabelle. Then he realized she was introducing him to the guy next to her. Alec extended his hand and shook the boy's as Isabelle introduced him as Simon. He let go of Simon's hand just in time for Jace to introduce him to Clary. Alec's eyes met Clary's for a second and he shook her hand.

After standing to the side for a few minutes, not being involved in the group conversation, Alec decided he needed a drink. He politely excused himself from them for a moment, extremely happy to be away from Clary and Jace. He took a seat at the bar next to a girl who didn't even look up as he sat down. It didn't bother him, though, because he didn't acknowledge her existence either. The bartender caught his eye and raised his eyebrows, silently asking Alec what he wanted.

Alec sighed, "Surprise me, and make it strong."

The bartender smiled at him before turning her back to him and pulling bottles from under the counter. Alec ran his hands over the bar. It was illuminated by blue light causing it to look like it was glowing. The light reflected on his face and deepened the blue in his eyes. Returning, the bartender complimented him.

"You have _the_ most extraordinary blue eyes I've ever seen," She purred, pushing a drink in front of him.

Without hesitating or asking questions, Alec took a long, hard drink from the glass. He winced, his throat flaming as the alcohol burned down.

"Thank you," He said breathlessly.

"No problem," She returned with a smile. "Go easy on that, lightweight."

Alec cocked in eyebrow in her direction but she just smiled and walked away to tend to the rest of the people at the bar. _Lightweight, _huh? Well, he'd show her. He took a deep breath and finished the rough drink quickly. He waved for another just as Jace and Isabelle arrived, their dates tagging alongside them.

"I'll have whatever he's having," Jace told the bartender immediately. "And a dry apple martini for this beautiful girl."

His eyes swept over Clary and he winked at her, causing a blush to rise up in her cheeks. Alec rolled his eyes in Isabelle's direction just in time to hear her ordering a mass of drinks for herself and Simon. When Isabelle came to party, she _came to party_. Alec grinned as he watched Simon, fully knowing there was no way he could keep up with Iz. This could quite possibly be Alec's only form of entertainment for the night.

He sat between the two couples, drinking his glass of he-didn't-even-know-what, and feeling as pathetic as he knew he looked. Part of him scolded himself for not bringing a date, but he knew he wouldn't enjoy bringing a girl. And bringing a guy definitely wasn't the answer. So, he drank until he saw the bottom of his glass and ordered another to follow. It wasn't until a voice spoke out, so velvety and electric, that he shivered and finally looked up from his drink.

"Three shots of Patron, and put it on my tab."

As if on cue, the boy turned his dark eyes towards Alec and their gazes locked. Alec's face flushed red and he looked back at his glass instantly. He heard the boy try to stifle a snicker, and Alec's fingers tightened around his glass. He would not be made a fool out of, he was sure about that. However, when his eyes met the boy's again, his expression wasn't mean. He looked curious, actually. His eyebrows rose at Alec as he caught his eyes for the second time within moments. Alec blushed furiously again and the boy smirked as he collected his shots and made his way past Alec.

"Hello? Are you coming or are you going to sit there all evening?"

Alec shook his head clear and looked at Jace who was standing impatiently to the side. "What?"

"We're ditching this place, it's too crowded…. Unless you want to stay," Jace asked.

Alec paused for a moment as he thought of the boy at the bar. He'd never seen anyone like him before, never met anyone who could taint him with just the sound of his voice. And the way he looked at Alec, that arrogance in his smile and the glint in his eye that knew he could have Alec if he wanted him… Alec had only ever seen that in one person, and he was standing right in front of him looking as attractive as ever.

"No, it's fine. I'm down for leaving," Alec replied.

He stood quickly, the alcohol rushing to his head and making him dizzy. He swooned for a brief moment, but long enough for Jace to notice. He reached out a calloused hand and grabbed Alec just above the elbow to steady him.

Jace raised his eyebrows questioningly, "You good?"

Alec shrugged off Jace's hand out of instinct and nodded. His arm tingled where Jace's hand had been and as he followed him out of the club, Alec found himself, as usual, longing for more.


	2. Chapter 2

Before they had even reached the taxi, it was obvious to Alec that he needed to find an excuse to retreat home. Clary and Jace walked in front of him, and he could tell from the way that Jace kept his eyes on her and around her that he felt protective over her already. These kinds of girls with Jace were few and far between, and, much to Alec's dismay, this was the first sign that she would be sticking around. As for Simon and Isabelle, Alec silently noted as he looked behind him, were about as he had expected after getting a look at Simon. It wasn't his fault that he wasn't Isabelle's type and he didn't notice because he didn't know her, but Alec did. He knew just by the way she avoided Simon's gaze as he talked, scanning the crowds around them, that she wasn't as interested in him as he was her.

They hailed a cab and suddenly realized there were too many people fit. Alec took this opportunity to bow out quietly. He pressed his hand against the cold taxi and rested his body weight on it.

"It's fine, you guys go. I'm going to walk home and try to sober up a little," He said, his head still swimming slightly.

"No," Jace said immediately. "We're not leaving you out here alone, drunk and left to walk home. Besides, the fun hasn't even started yet!"

Alec groaned inwardly. This was going to be more difficult than he'd expected. He figured after Isabelle had a drink or two and Jace had his toy by his side they would be distracted enough for him to slip out. It was clear that he'd guessed wrong.

"We can make room. Some of us will just have to lap up," Jace said with a grin, his eyes shifting back to Clary again.

"You guys are taking so long," Isabelle said with a huff as she shoved her way between the two of them and opened the taxi.

She let Simon in first, letting him slide all the way over. She followed, after, and settled in his lap. Her eyes looked expectantly at the rest of them, an heir of impatience in her gaze. Jace rolled his eyes and slid in after her, taking a spot in the middle. Clary hesitated for a moment, apparently embarrassed. Jace leaned over and flashed her a pearly smile. His golden eyes looked an intense yellow in contrast to the lights of the club behind them. Alec felt dizzy again, but Clary had already fumbled her way into the car and awkwardly climbed into Jace's lap. Wiping his sweaty hands on his jeans, Alec silently climbed in after the four of them and shut the door behind him.

The taxi driver caught their attention in the rearview mirror and raised his eyebrows questioningly. Isabelle turned to look at Jace, her hand extended.

"Give me the flyer, I forgot the address," She said.

As Jace struggled to reach into his pocket without Clary thinking he was grabbing her ass, Alec realized he had no idea where they were going. He had assumed they were going back to the Institute, but he was wrong. Before he could ask questions, Isabelle was rattling off an address and the taxi lurched forward, speeding them to their destination.

The ride was filled with an awkward silence. Clary and Jace whispered back and forth; Jace asking her if she was comfortable, Clary blushing and telling him that she was fine, Jace protectively wrapping his arms around her to secure her as they turned a corner. And Alec could tell Clary was in heaven.

He sighed and turned away from the two of them, jealous and irritated. Instead, he focused his attention on the buildings as they drove by.

"Jace, you moron, this party doesn't start until midnight. It's hardly 11," Isabelle exclaimed with a scowl.

"Well, why don't we stop and get something to eat? You're not supposed to drink on an empty stomach, or so I've heard," Simon suggested.

Alec glanced over at him in time to see Jace suppress a laugh at Simon and Simon glare in return. It was evident that either Simon didn't like Jace or Jace didn't like Simon. Truthfully, Alec didn't care either way. Food would be nice, though. He could eat and then say he didn't feel good and go home. He didn't have to endure the even-

"Wait, did you say party?" Alec asked, backtracking.

Isabelle raised her eyebrows, as if he should've already known this, "Yes, Alec, a party. It's where a bunch of people go, drink, dance, have a good time. Loosen up, you might actually have fun."

The taxi was quiet once again as Alec silently fumed alone. Isabelle redirected the cab driver to take them to a small diner a few blocks from the party. It was a short drive, and Alec was extremely thankful to finally open the door and extract himself. His throat was dry and he had another small head rush as he stood up. Closing his eyes, he leaned against the cab until everyone was out. Isabelle gave him a questioning look but he just waved it off. The four of them made their way into the diner and seating was, once again, an issue. Alec quickly resolved it by pulling a chair up to their booth and happily sitting in it. Anything to keep him from squeezing in next to Clary and Jace, who seemed too taken up with each other to notice the rest of them.

As the waitress made her way over to them, Alec could tell by the look she gave him that even she felt sorry for him. You'd think he would be used to it by now, always singled out. Isabelle and Jace both frequently brought dates home or hook ups over. Alec had brought home a few girls, all of which bored him and lacked chemistry completely. It had been with the last girl he'd tried dating, Scarlett, that he'd realized he was, in fact, 100% gay. Scarlett had been nice. Like him, she was a Shadowhunter, and pretty bad ass too. She was extremely attractive, even Jace had commented on her looks. But when Alec brought her home and things got carried away, he realized how wrong it felt to be with her. Since then, Alec had never so much as looked at another girl, and he had no interest in starting tonight.

"Are you going to order or just stare at the waitress?" Jace asked with a grin.

Alec flashed his gaze from the waitress to Jace then back to the waitress to see a blush melt her entire face. He hadn't realized he'd gotten lost in thought and been staring at her.

"Sorry. Sorry. I'll have a cheeseburger with no onions or tomato, please," He said quietly.

The waitress nodded and left without a word. Looking up, Alec realized everyone was watching him. He felt his face growing red again. He hated how easily he blushed.

"What?" He snapped.

Clary and Simon looked away immediately. Jace and Isabelle, however, held his gaze for a few seconds. Jace smiled mockingly and Isabelle just shook her head. The waitress returned with water for everyone except Clary who had to be different and order ginger ale.

"Is it because you're a ginger that you must drink ginger ale?" Jace asked, turning so that he was facing her slightly.

She rolled her eyes and began to speak when Simon interrupted.

"That's the least overused joke we've heard this week!" He said with fake sarcasm.

Jace looked at Simon threateningly out of the corner of his eyes. Isabelle noticed the warning and turned to Simon, pulling him out of their conversation and drowning him in one of her own. Alec almost felt sorry for him. Once Isabelle got on a topic she liked, like clothes, she wouldn't stop. She could literally talk for hours. It was unnerving.

After a few minutes, the waitress brought the food back. She handed Alec his food last and gave him a wink as he looked up to say thank you. He looked back down at his food, a questioning look on his face.

"I'm almost scared to eat it now," He said.

Jace looked up from his food with one eyebrow cocked, "Why?"

"Well…" Alec started. "She winked at me. What if she did something to my food?"

Jace dropped his fork and rested his elbows on the table, leaning over to look at Alec.

"You think she winked at you because she messed with your food?" He asked incredulously. "She winked at you because she's into you and she thinks you're into her."

Alec tried to hide the shocked expression that chapped his face, "Why would she think that?"

Jace stared at him for a moment, his eyes boring into Alec's. A smile flirted with the corner of Jace's lips as he watched Alec. After a few moments, Alec grew nervous and shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"That's why she thinks you're into her; because you stared at her like that the whole time she was here," Jace stated matter-of-factly.

Without another word to Alec, he returned to the plate of food in front of him, pausing only to whisper something to Clary occasionally. They ate slowly, passing as much time as they could. Isabelle included Alec in her and Simon's conversation frequently. He knew she was being thoughtful but it was more irritating than anything else. After what seemed like an eternity of endless chatter, Isabelle perked up.

"Guys, it's five after midnight. Party's on!"

They waved down the waitress and got their check. Jace grinned as he pulled money from his pocket to pay for their food. He left the money on the table, along with a tip, and tugged Clary from the booth. Isabelle and Simon followed, Alec picking up the rear, as they left and pulled over another taxi. Seating was the same as last time, and just before Jace slid into the cab, he turned around to face Alec.

"Oh, I almost forgot, "He said with a sly grin.

Closing the few feet between the two of them, Jace stood close enough that Alec could smell the icy spearmint gum on his breath as he exhaled. Alec shivered as the desire to close what little distance between the two of them was left. He wanted to feel Jace's rough hands again, the calloused hands of a Shadowhunter that matched his own. He wanted to run his fingers through Jace's hair, to feel his lips on-

"What are you doing?" Alec asked, his voice shaking.

Jace had slipped a finger into Alec's jean pocket and tugged him closer. Alec's face was on fire. Jace, however, pulled the check from the diner from his pocket and slipped it into Alec's pocket with a grin. Alec felt his body ache having Jace's fingers in his pocket, even if only for a moment.

"The waitress left her number on it. I suspect it's for you," Jace said with a teasing smile.

And just like that, the moment was over. Jace was retreating to the cab, pulling Clary in behind him and Alec behind her. And another horrid cab ride began, but at least Alec had something to keep his mind busy this time.

"This doesn't look like a good idea," Alec said, immediately wishing he had remembered his previous plan to get out of going with them.

"Relax, I've got your back," Jace said, clapping a hand on Alec's back.

Alec staggered forward a step, startled by Jace's touch. Jace didn't seem to notice; he'd turned around and said something to Clary. Alec looked up and saw Isabelle dragging Simon up the steps to the building and inside. Sighing loudly, Alec followed. He'd rather be in the middle of the party than outside with Clary and Jace.

He raced up the steps to meet Isabelle and Simon at the correct apartment just as the door swung open. A girl about their age opened the door with a bright smile. Alec looked past her and groaned. The room was dark, illuminated by lights that were strung up variously throughout the apartment. Drinks were everywhere, the music was loud, and everyone was dancing. Everyone.

It took Isabelle all but two seconds to dash inside and drag Simon with her. The girl in the doorway leaned against the frame and smiled at him expectantly. Though she looked mundane, he knew she wasn't. Another glance around the party proved that almost everyone was a Downworlder. Alec gave her a smile as he slipped past her. She shut the door behind them and ushered him to the kitchen where all the drinks were.

The kitchen, or makeshift bar, was surprisingly less crowded. Alec assumed everyone was dancing. An assortment of alcohol and drinks lay before him. He scanned them questioningly before taking a deep breath and pouring himself a shot of Bacardi.

"High roller and hard drinker, you're something else."

Alec dropped the shot glass and it stopped an inch below the floor, held in air by nothing. Alec stepped back, stumbling, and a pair of hands steadied his arms. He turned around to see the guy from the bar wearing a dazzling smile. His eyes were electric as he bent down and carefully retrieved the shot glass, placing it back on the counter.

"You don't want to make a mess in my apartment, do you?" He purred.

Alec stammered for words. This fueled the other boy's entertainment. Try as he might to form a coherent sentence, Alec was far too caught off guard to speak. The other boy leaned against the counter, his arms crossing over his chest and his head tilted sideways slightly as he studied Alec. Before either of them could say anything, Simon appeared.

"Have you seen Isabelle?" He asked Alec, his eyes shifting from one boy to the other curiously.

Alec turned to face Simon, his back to the other boy. "No, I haven't. I wouldn't worry about her though; she can take care of herself. Oh, and be careful what you drink."

"Yes, we like spike people's drinks and laugh as they stagger home," said the other boy animatedly.

Simon raised his eyebrows at Alec, silently asking who the other guy was. Before Alec could speak, however, the other boy intercepted the conversation with confidence.

"I'm Magnus Bane," He said to Alec specifically. "I know you were wondering. And you are?"

Alec was suddenly thankful for the dim lights because he knew, once again, his face was bright red. He looked over at Simon nervously, silently praying he would walk away or magically forget this moment ever happened.

"You're shy, that's so cute," Magnus said with a crinkle of his nose.

Alec blushed furiously again and turned to say something to Simon but he'd already walked away. Alec was momentarily thankful. He took a moment to gather his courage, deciding he would introduce himself, and turned to find himself nose to nose with Magnus. His reflexes screamed for him to jump back, but he couldn't move. He froze, his hands shaking. He'd never been this close to a guy before and, despite his nerves, he suddenly realized how badly he wanted Magnus to kiss him. Magnus' eyes left Alec's for a moment, looking over his shoulder, and smiled.

"Your blonde friend is finally here," He whispered, his eyes finding Alec's again. "Nice to meet you too, Alec."

His eyes twinkled and he took a step back, giving Alec space. Alec exhaled sharply, vaguely disappointed. Magnus turned to leave the room as Jace spotted Alec and made his way over, but quickly turned around with a mischievous look on his face and whispered one last thing.

"Oh, and nice ass, by the way."


	3. Chapter 3

"Who was that you were just talk- Are you okay? You look like you just saw the Angel himself," Jace asked worriedly.

Alec's face contorted slightly as he fought to regain control over himself and his emotions. "I'm fine. That gu- person… I don't know. He was looking for the bathroom, I don't know."

"Okay, it's not a big deal. Relax, Alec," Jace replied coolly.

Alec tried to hide the content on his face. He loved hearing Jace say his name, though he'd never admit it. Were it the sound of Jace's voice or the way the syllables seemed to roll off his tongue seductively, Alec didn't know, and Jace left him little time to think about it.

"Where are Iz and Simon?" He asked, looking around the apartment.

Alec shrugged, pouring himself another shot. "No idea. Simon came looking for her a few minutes ago, I guess she ditched him."

"That's rude," Clary muttered.

Alec turned around to look at her incredulously. He paused, daring her to continue to bad mouth his sister. The tiny red head avoided his gaze awkwardly. Alec scoffed and downed his shot, setting the small glass back on the table roughly. He found his thoughts wandering back to Magnus, which was unusual for him to say the least. When Jace was around, Alec never thought of anyone else. He only longed for Jace. But now, he found that even with Jace a mere few feet away, he wanted to go locate Magnus.

"Save some for the rest of the party," Jace said with a smirk as he leaned against the counter next to Alec and began pouring himself a drink.

A glance over Alec's shoulder proved that Clary had gone off. He considered asking Jace about her, but decided he didn't want to know how Jace felt. He didn't think he could withstand listening to Jace talk about how much he actually _liked_ her.

"See any girls you think are hot?" Jace asked curiously.

Alec poured himself another drink.

"Uh, yeah. The girl who let us in was pretty… hot," He lied.

Jace raised his eyebrows, "Yeah? Go find her, maybe you'll get _lucky_."

Alec pictured Magnus and his wild, spiked hair and his electric eyes, and nodded. "You're right. I think I'll go find her."

"Atta boy!" Jace said with a wide smile. "And I'm going to find my date who has apparently run off in search of her little friend. Honestly, it's a bit sad if you ask me. You can totally tell Izzy isn't into him. Poor boy, I don't know why he thought he could handle a girl like her. She'll tear him to pieces."

Jace left, two drinks in his hands and a chuckle on his lips. Alec sighed, finishing off his drink and turned to leave when a short, blonde girl stepped in front of him. Her eyes were a piercing shade of blue, matching his, and her smile was stark white and perfect. Even Alec was taken aback by her stunning looks and briefly wondered why she hadn't stopped Jace instead of himself.

"Hi," She said with a smile.

"Hey," Alec replied coolly.

Just as he was about bow out politely, he noticed something over her shoulder. Jace stood in the crowd, his eyes on the two of them. A smile lit up his face and he gave Alec a thumbs up. Now Alec was stuck with her. She must have sensed this for her next sentence caught him off guard.

"Ease up, cowboy, I'm not after you. I'm retrieving you," She said, the glint of a smirk dancing on her face. "Play along and you'll get what you really want."

She grabbed the front of his jacket and jerked him closer to her in one fluid motion. He opened his mouth to protest but before he could speak, her lips were on his. The kiss was soft and tasted of hot cinnamon. She playfully bit down on his lower lip, dragging her teeth. He felt her fingers find his as she broke the kiss and turned on her heel, tugging him along behind her.

"Where are we going? Uh, I think I should go find my friends…" He started.

She glanced over her shoulder; her eyes alight with fire, and smiled. She continued to pull him along, past the crowd of dancers, through the apartment and down a lone hallway until she reached a door. Without a second of hesitation, she pushed the door open and pulled him inside, hastily shutting it behind them. Alec noticed immediately that they were in a large bedroom.

"Alright," She said aloud. "I brought what you requested; now stay out of my make-up!"

"E-Excuse me?" Alec stammered, utterly confused.

"Not you, pretty boy," She said with a grin. "Him."

Alec followed her gaze to a large, four poster bed with what appeared to be satin sheets. The bed was decorated in red and black and adorned with pillows ranging from small to body sized. The thing that caught his eye, however, was the boy sitting on the bed with his legs stretched out and a seductive smile on his face. Magnus Bane.

"Good girl. I promise to stay out of your make-up. Today," Magnus grinned widely.

The girl scoffed and left with a roll of her eyes, closing the door and muting the noise of the party. Alec pressed his back against the wall. He felt his nerves constricting. His body screamed move closer, and he desperately wanted to, but instead he remained where he was.

"What is it, little Shadowhunter? I don't bite," Said Magnus flirtingly.

Alec opened his mouth to speak and all that came out was random stammers. Magnus continued to smile at him, clearly amused by his lack of function. There was an heir of arrogance about him, possibly the reason Alec found him so attractive. He tilted his head playfully from one side to the other as Alec made pathetic attempts to speak. He was enjoying this. At last, however, Alec found his voice.

"You… requested me?" He spoke quietly, almost inaudibly.

Magnus rose from the bed, the smile still flirting on his lips. "Yes, I requested you. Is that a problem?"

The closer Magnus moved to him, the harder Alec pressed his back into the wall. Part of him wanted to disappear. While the other part of him, smaller but building by the second, wanted Magnus next to him. Right then.

"No problem," Alec whispered, his voice fading once again.

"Then why," Magnus teased, "do you seem so eager to get away from me?"

Magnus was now standing close enough to Alec that he could almost see himself reflected in his vibrant, green eyes. Hot with a smirk, Magnus leaned forward, resting his hand on the wall next to Alec's head. He inclined has face towards Alec's.

"Do I make you nervous?" He asked innocently.

Alec shook his head no, but the blush creeping up his neck and covering his face gave him away completely. A chuckle escaped Magnus' parted lips.

"Dear, oh, dear. I think you're lying to me, Alec," He purred.

Magnus was closing the distance between their faces quickly, and Alec found himself unable to object. His lips looked delicious, and despite the shaking of his hands he was suddenly overcome with the urge to reach out and grab Magnus and kiss him. Alec was entranced by his smell, his cologne so enticing. Centimeters apart, Alec closed his eyes. He could feel Magnus' warm breath against his face, and just before their lips would've touched, Alec felt him pull away. He opened his eyes, disappoint lingering on his face.

"Liars deserve to be punished, don't you think?" Magnus said, grinning from ear to ear.

He ran a finger underneath Alec's chin as he withdrew from the wall and made his way back to his bed.

"You can go back to the party if you'd like. I won't stop you."

Alec hesitated, and that was all Magnus needed.

"Well, don't just stand there. Come sit do-"

Just as Alec was finally about the pluck up the courage to get off the wall and go sit with Magnus, a loud crash erupted from the party. Magnus, cursing under his breath, was off his bed and heading for the door in an instant. It wasn't until Isabelle's voice, infuriated and menacing, tore through the apartment did Alec kick into gear. He was out of the door before Magnus, pulling small seraph blades from the inside of his jacket.

"God, you are so hot," Magnus whispered just loud of enough to catch Alec's attention.

Like usual, Alec blushed.

Though the music was still blaring, the party had clearly come to a halt. It seemed everyone in the room had their eyes cast on Jace and Isabelle, who stood to the side with their weapons in hand and ready to fight.

"Since when do you invite Shadowhunters to your party, Magnus?" Someone spat from the crowd.

Jace twirled his seraph blade between his fingers and grinned. "Why don't you come out of the crowd and say that to me, blood sucker?"

"Jace," Alec started, but Magnus' voice interrupted.

"I didn't see any of them disrupting anyone. What's the problem?"

Everyone in the room began to speak at once, their voices ringing loudly and causing Magnus to wince. A loud _CRACK _from Isabelle's whip shut the room up. She looked absolutely livid.

"I'll tell you what happened, _Magnus_," Her voice was dangerously steady and as she made her way through the room, her golden whip glinting beneath the lights in the room, everyone seemed to back away from her. "What happened is your little vampire friends ambushed me before realizing what I am. Glamour can be deadly. I, however, merely defended myself."

Magnus raised his eyebrows and looked to his friends. The room remained silent.

"Very well then, party's over. Go home, all of you," Magnus said flatly.

For a moment, no one moved. Magnus narrowed his eyes dangerously at the crowd and there were quiet murmurs as everyone made their way to the exit.

"You'll regret this," Spat a boy with a swollen nose and blood on the front of his shirt.

Isabelle glared at him and cracked her whip again, causing him to jump back and hustle for the door. She sneered. Jace leaned against the wall across the room, still playing with his seraph blades and smiling as everyone filed out of the apartment. When at last everyone was gone except the four of them, Alec looked around questioningly.

"Simon and Clary…"

"Jace got them both out of here when the vamps decided to play dirty. Little did they know, I always win," Isabelle said with a confident smile.

"Well," Huffed Magnus, "You've all succeeded in ruining my party and it's not even 3 a.m. yet."

"I'm sorry," Alec apologized instinctively.

"Where's your chick?" Jace asked suddenly.

Alec raised his eyebrows, "My what?"

Jace paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts. "The girl who took you back there, where did she go?"

Alec paled. The girl had simply been a messenger, Magnus' own personal owl. He could feel Magnus watching him, waiting for an excuse or something, but nothing came. Out of the shadows came his own personal savior.

"I'm right here, silly, where else would I be?" She said, wrapping her arms around Alec's waist from behind.

Alec pulled away reflexively and inwardly scolded himself. Forcing himself to play along, he smiled and ran his fingers lightly along her arms causing goose bumps to flare up on her pale skin. Out of the corner of his eye, Alec caught Magnus' gaze. His lips were pulled in a tight line and he looked serious. Alec looked away just in time to see Jace kick himself off the wall and head for the door.

"Well, I guess this ends our evening. Sorry for the trouble, man," He said.

Magnus waved his hand and shook his head. "Vampires are so testy sometimes."

Isabelle gave Magnus an apologetic look, even though it was hardly her fault, and followed Jace to the door. Alec gently retracted himself from the girl's arms and turned around, giving her a small smile. He longed to say something to Magnus; get his number or something, but he kept his mouth shut. As he walked away, he heard Magnus and the girl whispering amongst themselves. Just as Alec reached Isabelle and Jace, the girl's seductive voice caught his attention.

"Hey, pretty boy."

Alec turned around and saw a smile dancing on Magnus' lips, an infamous gleam of mischief in his eyes. The girl put her hands on her hips and bit her lip slightly. Behind him, Alec heard Jace inhale sharply. He kept his attention on Magnus and the girl next to him.

"Your friends ruined our one on one time. I'll be contacting you soon for a little… repayment," She said enticingly.

Alec raised his eyebrows but one look at Magnus and he understood. The girl was a way for Magnus to communicate to Alec without giving him away to his friends. He was using her, once again. Alec nodded and just as he turned to leave, Magnus gave him a quick wink.

* * *

Thank you for reading! Reviews are greatly appreciated though not entirely necessary. I'll continue to write either way. I just love feedback!


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